Addressing growing concern over <a href="http://inhabitat.com/category/global-warming/">climate change </a>and the rising level of the world’s oceans, Russian architectural firm <a href="http://remistudio.ru/">Remistudio</a> has designed a massive hotel concept that can endure extreme floods. The arch-shaped building, dubbed the Ark, has a structure that enables it to <a href="http://inhabitat.com/index.php?s=floating+homes">float</a> and exist autonomously on the surface of the water. The Ark was also designed to be a bioclimatic house with independent life-support systems, including elements ensuring a closed-functioning cycle.

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Remistudio Ark

The Ark was designed by Remistudio in connection with the International Union of Architects’ program "Architecture for Disaster Relief."

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Remistudio Ark

The Ark can be built in various climates and in seismically dangerous regions because its basement is a shell structure, devoid of ledges or angles.

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Remistudio Ark

A load-bearing system of arches and cables allows weight redistribution along the entire corpus in case of an earthquake.

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Remistudio Ark

The building's clever design enables an optimal relationship between its volume and its outer surface, significantly saving materials and providing energy efficiency.

The Ark constitutes a single <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/energy">energy </a>system. Its shape is convenient for installing <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/solar-power">photoelectric cells</a> at an optimal angle toward the sun.

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Remistudio Ark

The cupola, in the upper part, collects warm air which is gathered in seasonal heat accumulators to provide an uninterrupted energy supply for the whole complex independently from outer environmental conditions.

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Remistudio Ark

The heat from the surrounding environment — the outer air, water or ground — is also used.

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Remistudio Ark

The Ark concept, which Remistudio designed in connection with the International Union of Architects’ program "Architecture for Disaster Relief," can be built in various climates and in seismically dangerous regions because its basement is a shell structure, devoid of ledges or angles. A load-bearing system of arches and cables allows weight redistribution along the entire corpus in case of an earthquake. The building's clever design enables an optimal relationship between its volume and its outer surface, significantly saving materials and providing energy efficiency....<br><br><a href='http://inhabitat.com/remistudios-massive-ark-building-can-save-residents-from-flood/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

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Remistudio Ark

Planting greenery is the next step in creating a bioclimatic building and the Ark is filled with it.

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Remistudio Ark

The tall, illuminated inside space creates well-lit places to grow plants at any time of day.

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Remistudio Ark

Enough <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/daylighting">daylight</a> penetrates through the transparent roof to illuminate the inner rooms as well. The tiered balconies serve as social and recreational areas and the Ark has an open layout that can easily be adapted to different functions over time.

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Remistudio Ark

The Ark's structural solidity is provided by compression of timber arches and tension of steel cables. The framework is covered by a special foil made of ethyltetrafluoroethylene, or ETFE. It is a strong, highly transparent foil that is self-cleaning, recyclable, and more durable, cost-efficient and lighter than glass. The foil itself is affixed to the framework by special metal profiles, which serve as <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/solar-power">solar</a> collectors for heating water and as gutters for collecting rainwater from the roof.

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Remistudio Ark

Addressing growing concern over climate change and the rising level of the world’s oceans, Russian architectural firm Remistudio has designed a massive hotel concept that can endure extreme floods. The arch-shaped building, dubbed the Ark, has a structure that enables it to float and exist autonomously on the surface of the water. The Ark was also designed to be a bioclimatic house with independent life-support systems, including elements ensuring a closed-functioning cycle.